A Batman Memoir and 4 More Comics You Should Read in June
Here are the comics you should pick up next month—and not just the superhero stuff.
DC/Vertigo
Summer is almost here, which means it's probably time to think about what you'll be reading while you soak up the sun. With DC going through a superhero "Rebirth"—series are being relaunched all through the month, including Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman—and Marvel going all-in on its comic book Civil War II, there's a lot going on in the superhero side of the pool, but for everyone else, here are five titles that are definitely worth diving into this June.
DC/VertigoDark Night: A True Batman Story (DC/Vertigo)
Brave, tragic, and even a little funny, Paul Dini's memoir *Dark Night* is the ultimate Batman tale, demonstrating both the ways in which the character could never exist in reality and the inspiration he provides as an idea—even to the people paid to create his stories. Focusing on Dini's recovery after being mugged when he was working on the classic 1990s *Batman* animated series, the book is all about how he is simultaneously haunted and inspired by the characters he grew up reading. Artist Eduardo Risso brings all this to life with subtlety, making the book feel personal and yet like a classic comic that just happens to star real people, revealing something honest about fandom's hidden secrets along the way.
Boom! Studios/DC EntertainmentLumberjanes/Gotham Academy #1 (Boom! Studios/DC Entertainment)
If *Dark Night* reveals a wonderfully dark side to the Batman mythos, this mini-series that combines the gothic high school drama of *Batman* spin-off *Gotham Academy* with the effortlessly fun, GLAAD Award-nominated series *Lumberjanes* is certain to offer some whimsy, romance, *and* spooky mystery. In this installment, the students of Gotham Academy and attendees of Miss Quinzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's Camp for Hardcore Lady Types set out to investigate strange goings-on at a cabin in the woods, little knowing what (or who) they'll find in the process.
Image ComicsPop Gun War: Gift (Image Comics)
Farel Dalrymple, the amazing creator of *The Wrenchies* and illustrator of Jonathan Lethem's *Omega the Unknown*, reissues one of his earliest works in this beautiful new edition from Image. Centering on a kid who finds a pair of "discarded" wings from an angel, it's an exploration of urban life that's at once beautiful, disturbing, and teeming with memorable characters as strange and unexpected as the wings the protagonist uses to travel through New York City. This is the book that made Dalrymple's name, and it's easy to see why: More than a decade after it was first published, there's still nothing else out there quite like this.
Drawn & QuarterlyHot Dog Taste Test (Drawn & Quarterly)
Fans of *BoJack Horseman* and *Lucky Peach* magazine are likely already familiar with Lisa Hanawalt, the cartoonist (and *BoJack* producer/designer) who's obsessed with horses, food, and pop culture. Everyone else needs to catch up. This second collection of her work—*My Dirty Dumb Eyes*, her first book, is also highly recommended—is both hilarious and at times breathtakingly inventive as it seeks to investigate the things other people don't really think about: the dating life of birds, the horror of using public restrooms while traveling abroad, and which foods are earnest, versus which ones are sassy.
Fantagraphics BooksWrinkles (Fantagraphics Books)
Already a hit in Europe, Paco Roca's bittersweet comedy follows Emilio as he arrives at an assisted-living facility determined to hide the true extent of his Alzheimer's from everyone who works there with the assistance of his roommate, a would-be ladies' man who is far too confident in his own charms. Heartbreaking and hilarious, it's a complex book that will stick with you (and make you contemplate aging) for a long time after you've finished reading it.
